Boasting more smoke and mirrors than the funhouse in The Man With The Golden Gun, the saga over who will play the next James Bond took the latest turn in its mysterious course this week.

In an interview with Italian Vanity Fair, Pierce Brosnan spoke of his disappointment over being dropped by the 007 producers, appearing to draw a line under any possible reprisal of his super spy role.

Rumours have circulated for months over the identity of the next Bond after it appeared that Brosnan and Eon Productions had parted company when the star demanded a pay rise following the huge success of Die Another Day.

Agents, publicists and the media wasted little time in public conjecture over who would replace the four-time Bond veteran, with British actor Daniel Craig currently regarded as the frontrunner to fill his tux.

While Brosnan has never been completely out of the picture, his comments this week would appear to carry more than a sniff of finality about them.

"Losing Bond hurt me like mad," Brosnan said. "It was a shock, unexpected."Then one bad day I had a telephone call. Dropped. Telling my wife Keely and friends was torture."